The European Far Right
Year 3
2019 – 2020
,2
,3
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
LECTURE 1: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES .......................................................................................5
SEMINAR 1: UNPACKING THE FAR-RIGHT PHENOMENON – SOCIAL THEORIES .....................10
LECTURE 2: THE PARTY LEVEL – IDEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES .....................................................15
SEMINAR 2: PARTY-IDEOLOGY .................................................................................................19
LECTURE 3: THE PARTY LEVEL – POLICY POSITIONS ................................................................24
SEMINAR 3: PARTY-POLICY ......................................................................................................32
LECTURE 4: THE PARTY LEVEL – ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNING ..................................................39
SEMINAR 4: PARTY-CAMPAIGN ...............................................................................................45
LECTURE 5: THE MICRO-LEVEL – THE FAR-RIGHT VOTER I THEORIES .....................................50
SEMINAR 5: SUPPORTERS OF THE FAR RIGHT I – THEORIES ...................................................54
LECTURE 6: THE MICRO-LEVEL – THE FAR-RIGHT VOTER II PSYCHOLOGY ..............................62
SEMINAR 6: SUPPORTERS OF THE FAR RIGHT II – PSYCHOLOGY ............................................67
LECTURE 7: THE INSTITUTION LEVEL – PARTY COMPETITION .................................................73
SEMINAR 7: PARTY COMPETITION AND THE ELECTORAL MARKETPLACE ...............................77
LECTURE 8: THE EFFECT OF THE FAR RIGHT ............................................................................83
SEMINAR 8: DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND IMPACT ON POLICY .................................................92
4
, 13/01/2020
THE EUROPEAN FAR RIGHT
LECTURE 1: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
The far-right in historical perspectives
• First part of 20th century: ‘organic nation, strong state & radical bottom-up
paramilitary movement’
o Far-right views the state as an organic nation, you have to be born into the
nation (ethnic understanding)
• Variations of fascism (Mann 2004)
o Italian; German National Socialism; Spanish long-lived authoritarianism (Primo
de Rivera 1923-1930; Franco regime 1939-1975), Austria/Hungary etc.
• After the end of the WWII the far right became marginalised
o As a result, any party that would put forward any association related to this
idea did not do well in elections, they are outsiders, whoever votes for them is
seen as anti-democratic
• These parties were rejected by voters due to widespread support for democracy /
stigma
Patterns of success: key countries over time
2000-
Country 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2009
Austria 22 17.8
Belgium 1.5 9.7 13.8
Denmark 11 6.6 7.5 13.2
Finland 0.3
France 4.3 6.7 14.2 4.7
Germany 1.1 2.1 0.3 2.5 0.5
Iceland
Ireland
Italy 11.1 6.3 6.7 6.6 20.9 14.8
Luxembourg 1.2 1.2 0.5
Malta 0.3
Netherlands 0.6 1.8 9.6
Norway 3.5 7.1 10.8 18.4
Sweden 2.6 2.2
Switzerland 4.8 4.3 25.4 29.2
United Kingdom
Mean (N=16) 1 0.5 1.6 2.2 7.4 7.8
Cyprus
5
, Greece 2.9
Portugal
Spain
Overall mean
(N=20) 1.8 5.9 6.4
Gallagher 2011
• Success of far-right parties in European countries
• Italy in the 1950s is an exception – Italian type of fascism was not as discredited as
others in Europe
• From the 1990s onwards there is an increase in far right support, especially in France,
Norway and Switzerland
• There is no far right in Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus)
European Parliament elections
• Spain was an exceptional case until a few years ago, there was no far right party
• Greece now has many of them
• In European elections marginal parties take more seats because people do not elect a
government, they want to be able to protest, go for their interests, etc. it does not
need to be one that governs well
• France and Italy is outstanding – 50 of the 84 seats are owned by 2 far right parties
• Yes, there is a trend to vote for these parties, but we need to look at that there are
only a few parties in Europe driving this trend
3 key questions and borad theories
1. What explains the rise of such far right parties in contemporary Europe?
2. What explains their persistence?
6
Year 3
2019 – 2020
,2
,3
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
LECTURE 1: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES .......................................................................................5
SEMINAR 1: UNPACKING THE FAR-RIGHT PHENOMENON – SOCIAL THEORIES .....................10
LECTURE 2: THE PARTY LEVEL – IDEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES .....................................................15
SEMINAR 2: PARTY-IDEOLOGY .................................................................................................19
LECTURE 3: THE PARTY LEVEL – POLICY POSITIONS ................................................................24
SEMINAR 3: PARTY-POLICY ......................................................................................................32
LECTURE 4: THE PARTY LEVEL – ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNING ..................................................39
SEMINAR 4: PARTY-CAMPAIGN ...............................................................................................45
LECTURE 5: THE MICRO-LEVEL – THE FAR-RIGHT VOTER I THEORIES .....................................50
SEMINAR 5: SUPPORTERS OF THE FAR RIGHT I – THEORIES ...................................................54
LECTURE 6: THE MICRO-LEVEL – THE FAR-RIGHT VOTER II PSYCHOLOGY ..............................62
SEMINAR 6: SUPPORTERS OF THE FAR RIGHT II – PSYCHOLOGY ............................................67
LECTURE 7: THE INSTITUTION LEVEL – PARTY COMPETITION .................................................73
SEMINAR 7: PARTY COMPETITION AND THE ELECTORAL MARKETPLACE ...............................77
LECTURE 8: THE EFFECT OF THE FAR RIGHT ............................................................................83
SEMINAR 8: DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND IMPACT ON POLICY .................................................92
4
, 13/01/2020
THE EUROPEAN FAR RIGHT
LECTURE 1: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
The far-right in historical perspectives
• First part of 20th century: ‘organic nation, strong state & radical bottom-up
paramilitary movement’
o Far-right views the state as an organic nation, you have to be born into the
nation (ethnic understanding)
• Variations of fascism (Mann 2004)
o Italian; German National Socialism; Spanish long-lived authoritarianism (Primo
de Rivera 1923-1930; Franco regime 1939-1975), Austria/Hungary etc.
• After the end of the WWII the far right became marginalised
o As a result, any party that would put forward any association related to this
idea did not do well in elections, they are outsiders, whoever votes for them is
seen as anti-democratic
• These parties were rejected by voters due to widespread support for democracy /
stigma
Patterns of success: key countries over time
2000-
Country 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2009
Austria 22 17.8
Belgium 1.5 9.7 13.8
Denmark 11 6.6 7.5 13.2
Finland 0.3
France 4.3 6.7 14.2 4.7
Germany 1.1 2.1 0.3 2.5 0.5
Iceland
Ireland
Italy 11.1 6.3 6.7 6.6 20.9 14.8
Luxembourg 1.2 1.2 0.5
Malta 0.3
Netherlands 0.6 1.8 9.6
Norway 3.5 7.1 10.8 18.4
Sweden 2.6 2.2
Switzerland 4.8 4.3 25.4 29.2
United Kingdom
Mean (N=16) 1 0.5 1.6 2.2 7.4 7.8
Cyprus
5
, Greece 2.9
Portugal
Spain
Overall mean
(N=20) 1.8 5.9 6.4
Gallagher 2011
• Success of far-right parties in European countries
• Italy in the 1950s is an exception – Italian type of fascism was not as discredited as
others in Europe
• From the 1990s onwards there is an increase in far right support, especially in France,
Norway and Switzerland
• There is no far right in Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus)
European Parliament elections
• Spain was an exceptional case until a few years ago, there was no far right party
• Greece now has many of them
• In European elections marginal parties take more seats because people do not elect a
government, they want to be able to protest, go for their interests, etc. it does not
need to be one that governs well
• France and Italy is outstanding – 50 of the 84 seats are owned by 2 far right parties
• Yes, there is a trend to vote for these parties, but we need to look at that there are
only a few parties in Europe driving this trend
3 key questions and borad theories
1. What explains the rise of such far right parties in contemporary Europe?
2. What explains their persistence?
6
